Pages

Friday, August 18, 2017

Author Interview: Ted Galdi: Author of An American Cage

Ted Galdi is the author of the bestselling novel Elixir.
The book is a winner of a Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award and a Silver
Medal in the Readers' Favorite Book Awards. Ted is a graduate of Duke
University and lives in Los Angeles. He has been featured by ABC and FOX
television, iHeartRadio, Examiner, and many other media
outlets. His second novel, An American Cage, is set for
release Fall 2017.

An American Cage

Three inmates break out of
a maximum-security prison in Texas, one of them Danny Marsh, a suburban kid in
his twenties who landed in jail because of a crime he never intended to
commit. An American Cage follows Danny and his two escape partners over a
twenty-four-hour period as they struggle to cross Texas to freedom in Mexico.
On this dangerous journey, Danny has to evade the rabid Texas authorities, and
even worse, the schemes of one of his closest allies, who isn't who he
seems.

Who are your
influences?

My favorite author is John Updike. Unlike me, he wasn't a
thriller writer. But the best elements of his work transcend genre. I think any
fiction writer would benefit from reading him. His plots aren't necessarily
"exciting" per the mainstream definition of the word. They mainly
feature everyday people in everyday settings. This, however, leaves him nothing
to hide behind, and makes you realize how good of a writer he was. Often, car
chases and explosions can divert a reader's attention from bland writing. When
reading Updike, something as simple as a man going for a jog can be
captivating. The descriptions, constant psychological probing, and subtle
tie-ins of common suburban situations to profound philosophical movements make
for a unique reading experience.

When did you begin writing?

"Professionally," with the publication of my
first novel, Elixir, in 2014. However, it all started when I was a
kid. I wrote a whole bunch of stuff along the way, from short stories to comedy
skits to screenplays. I tried selling a few scripts to Hollywood when I was
younger. No sales. However, the experience was great. It taught me a lot about
"feature length" storytelling and how to structure a longer story
through multiple acts, which of course is an essential part of novel writing.

How do you come up with your stories, characters,
character names, POV, etc?

The stories themselves always start with a message. A
simple, one-sentence pronouncement of what I want the story to "say."
The characters and plot become an extension of that. Like most other writers I
assume, I begin my character work with a protagonist. I'll ask myself,
"Who's the best person to deliver my message?" Supporting characters
often act as weights and counterweights that pull the protagonist in different
directions concerning the message. They should serve to show the various sides
of the "argument" underpinning the theme. They naturally evolve in my
mind once I have an image of the main character fleshed out.

As for names, the most important thing is for them to be
a demographic fit with the character, or else they'll seem forced. Culture,
geography, age, and socioeconomic status all contribute to a name. It's
sometimes interesting to concoct a name as a reference. For instance, if a
character is a symbol of something, you can allude to that via the character's
name. However, this only works if the name sounds authentic.

POV choices are important. I try to make them in the
broader context of the story, in addition to the "here and now" of a
scene. The POV structure of my first book, Elixir, is very
different than that of my second, An American Cage. Elixir is
a seven-year saga following the protagonist, Sean Malone, all across the globe.
He is the central part of the vast majority of scenes and the only character
whose internal thoughts are described. An American Cage, on the
other hand, takes place over a twenty-four-hour period. I use a variety of POVs
in addition to protagonist Danny Marsh's, which I feel adds depth to the pacing
of the one-day story.

Do you work from an outline?

Yes, but not a very detailed one. Outlines are important,
but jumping into the story and getting a feel for the characters as they talk
and think is also important. A character you initially envisioned one way may
change as you get to know her better. It's obviously impossible to anticipate
these changes in a pre-draft outline, so investing a lot of time into one can
be a waste. At least for me.

Can you tell us a little about your writing
philosophy?

I try to write things that are heart-pumping and
thought-provoking at the same time. I see a lot of writing that's one or the
other, but very rarely something that's both. Who knows if I'm actually pulling
it off. But I'm at least trying.

Have you ever tried
writing in any other genres?

When I was a teenager I used to love writing comedy. I'd
write up sketches that my friends and I would videotape. Humor is important. Though An
American Cage is very much so a serious thriller, I put a few things
in there that will hopefully make people laugh. A touch of humor helps balance
out the intensity of drama.

Do you have any interesting writing-related anecdotes
to share?

I sometimes get asked why I don't use my full name as my
author name, i.e., why I go by "Ted" versus whatever Ted is short
for. Well, it's not short for anything. My real first name is simply Ted. Not
Edward. Not Theodore. Not Thaddeus. Three letters, one syllable. I guess my
parents were "into the whole brevity thing."

Subscribe To

Follow by Email

Like the Facebook Page

Read Indies

Have you checked out ... ?

About Me

With a profound interest in religion, liberal politics and humor, Dave began writing in high school and has not given up on it since. His first professional writing jobs came while attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh when he was hired to create political cartoons for the Pitt News and to write humor pieces for Smile Magazine. Dave has worked in the newspaper industry as a photographer, in the online publishing industry as a weekly contributor to Streetmail.com, and was a contributing writer to the Buzz On series of informational books, and his story, The Bet in Red Dust, appeared in the Western online anthology, Elbow Creek. Dave’s science fiction novel, Synthetic Blood and Mixed Emotions, is available from its publisher, writewordsinc.com.
Dave currently resides in his childhood home in Toronto, OH with his beautiful girlfriend and his teenage daughter. He enjoys participating in local community events and visiting with his two adult children and his grandkids. Join the Facebook fan-page at https://www.facebook.com/Lupaschwartzmysteries.